Indonesia receives its first aircraft carrier from Italy — The Guardian
Indonesia has received its first aircraft carrier: the former Italian vessel ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived at the naval base in the port of Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. The 41-year-old ship was welcomed with a military ceremony. As The Guardian reports, the country's government says the vessel is intended to strengthen maritime security and disaster-response capabilities.
The ship will be renamed KRI Gajah Mada
Italy agreed to transfer the aircraft carrier to Indonesia in March. The ship was decommissioned from the Italian Navy in 2024. It is capable of accommodating short take-off and vertical landing aircraft, as well as helicopters. The transfer of the vessel also allows Italy to avoid the costs of decommissioning the ship.
Next week, the ship is scheduled to be officially commissioned into the Indonesian Navy under the name KRI Gajah Mada, in honor of a 14th-century Majapahit-era military commander. Indonesia will then become the second country in Southeast Asia to have an aircraft carrier in its fleet. Thailand was the first in the region, commissioning HTMS Chakri Naruebet in 1997, purchased from Spain together with AV-8S Matador aircraft.
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The cost of the program has sparked controversy
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said the ship is planned to be used as a mobile command center and a platform for helicopters, drones and maritime operations among the country's thousands of islands. According to him, the vessel will be able to accommodate up to 10 medium helicopters, carry large quantities of water and help fight forest and peat fires. It is also planned to be used in responding to natural disasters.
At the same time, the transfer of Garibaldi has sparked debate among analysts, economists and opposition politicians over Indonesia's need for an aircraft carrier and the cost of its refitting and operation. Indonesia's Finance Ministry approved $450 million in funding for the aircraft carrier program in 2025. TB Hasanuddin, a member of parliamentary Commission I, said that refitting the ship alone could cost up to 16 trillion rupiah, or about $900 million.
Muhammad Fauzan Malufti, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stressed that the costs of modernization, personnel, maintenance, fuel, weapons systems and infrastructure should be assessed. Military analyst Khairul Fahmi believes that Indonesia needs submarines, frigates and asymmetric weapons systems more to protect its maritime sovereignty.
